1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device for drying mash-products, and more particularly, to a 2-step device for drying mash-products comprising a first drying unit (a flow rotary drying unit) and a second drying unit (a mixing rotary drying unit), the first drying unit and the second drying unit being arranged in series, and a 2-step method for drying mash-products.
2. Background of the Related Art
Fish cakes or dried mash-products are often used in food products manufactured in the shape of a circular plate, a semicircular plate, a swirl, a rice cake with a orange pattern imprinted, a designed crab, a panda and other animals as a kind of seasoning ingredient of instant noodles, such as curled noodles and noodles in a bowl. The term xe2x80x9cmash-productxe2x80x9d in this specification and claims can be defined as a product made from wheat flour dough and the like.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a flow rotary drying device disclosed from Korean Patent No. 130127, which was published on Apr. 17, 1998 under Korean Patent Publication No. 130127/1998. The aforesaid patent discloses a method and device for drying mash-products in which cut mash-products 105 are sorted by a mesh-type vibrating input feeder, moved into an input opening 107 by means of an input fan, dropped into an inlet of a drying can 101 by means of a screening plate 103, and flowed and transferred to an output opening.
According to the aforesaid patent, however, if the speed of hot wind 104 in the vicinity of the inlet is increased in order to make the mash-products float and flow in the rotary drum, the mash-products are flown to the output opening earlier than a predetermined time, which results in mash-products with less than a desired predetermined moisture.
In addition, if the mash-products are provided with more reducing starchy resolution substance (for example, D-sorbitol, millet jelly, etc.) than typically used in the prior art so as to prevent split of the mash-products, the mash products tend to adhere to one another during the drying operation. In order to prevent this phenomenon, the mash-products must be floated and flowed heavily within the rotary drum, until the moisture content is sufficiently reduced. As the speed of the hot wind 104 increases in order to float and flow the mash-products heavily, the aforementioned phenomenon occurs more significantly, which can result in degraded mash-products.
Therefore, the present invention is aimed to solve the aforementioned problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a 2-step method for drying mash-products, comprising the steps of: carrying out a first drying operation of mash-products until the mash-products have a moisture content of 25 to 35%, and throwing the semi-dried mash-products in the improved unit of the same type in order to carry out a second drying operation. The aforementioned method can increase the speed of the hot wind during the first drying operation, and finely adjust the moisture content to the predetermined value.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a 2-step device for drying mash-products which carries out the aforesaid method.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying mash-products, wherein a plurality of teflon-coated metal nets, which are bent in the shape of mountains (i.e. corrugated), are arranged in the rotary drum during the second drying operation so that an inner surface area of the rotary drum is substantially increased. Further, hot wind is supplied at a low speed while the rotary drum is rotated at a rapid speed, thereby increasing the amount of contact between the mash-products and the hot wind, resulting in rapid drying of the mash-products.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a 2-step device for drying mash-products which carries out the aforesaid method.
Still other object of the present invention is to provide a method for drying mash-products, wherein the temperature of the hot wind or the angle of inclination of the drum is finely adjusted during the second drying operation. It is thereby possible to more finely and easily adjust the drying operation than in the prior art. The method further provides for adjusting the angle of inclination of the drum to a maximum after the drying operation, while the opening and closing unit of the output opening is fully opened, thereby drawing out the mash-products more rapidly and easily than in the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a 2-step device for drying mash-products which carries out the aforesaid method.